Lyft’s fresh funding; streaming music breaks through

Chronicle Staff and News Services

Updated 3:59 pm, Thursday, April 6, 2017

Not the same old song

Music sales revenue posted double-digit growth in 2016 — its biggest gain in almost two decades — as streaming became the industry’s leading revenue source. Money from services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora now make up almost 52 percent of industry revenue, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Five years ago, it accounted for 9 percent. Streaming has given rise to such performers as hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper, right, who built a strong national following by releasing songs himself on streaming services.

That’s the estimated value of Lyft as it seeks about $500 million in a new round of funding, according to a person familiar with the investment. The funding round isn’t concluded and could expand further, said the person. The funding was originally reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Dog bites man (delivering a package)

Blame it on the Internet: Dog attacks on postal workers rose last year to 6,755, up 206 from the previous year and the highest in three decades, thanks partly to all the package deliveries demanded by online shoppers. The annual figures were released by the Postal Service Thursday as part of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which begins Sunday.